Thrust producing steering unit for space craft



Oct. 18, 1966 H. K. PRICE 3,279,188

THRUS'I' PRODUCING STEERING UNIT FOR SPACE CRAFT Original Filed Jan. 4,1963 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 ,-X -H- IOO "X l 99 7' Conventional I 2-Controlled Space Flight INVENTOR HOLLAS K. PRICE BY W ATTORNEY Oct. 18,1966 H. K. PRICE 3,279,183

THRUST PRODUCING STEERING UNIT FOR SPACE CRAFT Original Filed Jan. 4,1965 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR HOLLAS K. PRICE BY WWW ATTORNEY Oct. 18,1966 H. K. PRI E 3,279,188

THRUST PRODUCING STEERING UNIT FOR SPACE RAFT Original Filed Jan. 4,1963 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 as. 4:. a 40.39. sapLs-r. 3:

INVENTQR HOLLAS K. PRICE BY W fi ATTORNEY H. K. PRICE Oct. 18, 1966THRUST PRODUCING STEERING UNIT FOR SPACE CRAFT 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 OriginalFiled Jan. 4, 1963 INVENTOR HOLLAS K. PRICE ATTORNEY United StatesPatent Ofifice 3,279,188 Patented Oct. 18, 1966 3,279,188 THRUSTPRODUCING STEERING UNIT FOR SPACE CRAFT Hollas K. Price, R0. Box 701,Oak Hill, W. Va.

Original application Jan. 4, 1963, Ser. No. 249,393, now Patent No.3,215,373, dated Nov. 2, 1965. Divided and this application Dec. 11,1964, Ser. No. 417,745

7 Claims. (Cl. 60-250) This application is a division of my applicationSerial No. 249,393, filed January 4, 1963, now Patent No. 3,215,- 373.In particular, the present invention embodies certain modifications ofand improvements in my earlier invention disclosed in my-copendingpatent application Serial No. 209,816, filed July 12, 1962, now PatentNo. 3,215,372, of which this application is a continuation-inart. P Theinvention relates to new and useful improvements in space craft, thatis, craft adapted for orbital and/or interplanetary flights, and theprincipal object of the invention is to facilitate extended spaceflights while maintaining maneuverability and ability to re-enter andland in a controlled manner under the crafts own power.

In my aforementioned earlier application there is disclosed a spacecraft equipped with jet engines, under the power of which the craft maytake off the ground in the manner of a conventional airplane and reachthe upper layers of the atmosphere. At that point the jet engines may beshut off, and one of a plurality of rocket engines carried by the craftmay be fired to boost the craft into a selected orbit or along a desiredtrajectory, the advantage of this arrangement being that the full powerof the rocket engine is available for propulsion purposes in space,rather than being almost completely wasted in lifting the craft throughdense atmospheric layers, as happens in rockets which are now beingutilized.

Moreover, as also disclosed in my earlier application, additional rocketengines carried by the craft may be individually and successively firedwhenever it is desired to change the orbit or trajectory of the craft inspace, or to return it to the earths atmosphere, at which point thecrafts jet engines may again be energized to effect a power controlledlanding. Further still, the craft in my earlier application is equippedWith thrust producing means for steering purposes both in the atmosphereand in space, and with landing gear to facilitate take-01f and landingin the manner of conventional aircraft.

The principal object of the present invention is to structurally andfunctionally improve upon the craft disclosed in my earlier application,one such improvement being directed to arranging the space craft morealong the lines of contemporary jet aircraft rather than of contemporaryrockets, whereby to facilitate manufacture and assembly of the craftwith as much as possible of existing machinery and other equipment,while keeping at a minimum the requirement of special facilities tofabricate and assemble special components. Also in keeping with thisobject, the present invention is adapted to utilize power plants of arelatively small size as compared to contemporary rocket boosters, andin fact, the craft according to the present invention is capable ofbeing constructed along the dimensions of medium size airplanes and at areasonably comparable cost.

The space craft disclosed in my earlier application contains, as alreadymentioned, a plurality of individually and successively usable rocketengines, together with chain-driven means for successively placing suchengines in a firing position. The present invention also improves onthis structure by the provision of hydraulically actuated engine placingmeans which are more simple in construction, efiicient in operation andotherwise better adapted for the intended purpose than the chain-drivenmeans.

In addition, the present invention provides the craft with further meansfor steering the craft in space, apart form the steering means alreadydisclosed in my earlier application.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention willbecome apparent from the following description taken in conjunction withthe accompanying drawings, wherein like characters of refernce are usedto designate like parts, and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic illustration, viewed from above the NorthPole of the earth, and showing a controlled space flight of the craft ofthe invention in comparison to a conventional space vehicle orbit;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of the improved space craft;

FIGURE 3 is a top plan view thereof;

FIGURE 4 is a front end view thereof;

FIGURE 5 is a diagrammatic longitudinal sectional View showing theinterior arrangement of the craft;

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged, fragmentary longitudinal sectional View of aportion of the fuselage;

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view, taken substantially in theplane of the line 7-7 in FIGURE 6;

FIGURE 8 is an enlarged, fragmentary View, partly in section and partlyin elevation, of the rocket engine placmg means;

FIGURE 9 is a fragmentary sectional view, taken substantially in theplane of the line 9-9 of FIGURE 8;

FIGURE 10 is a fragmentary sectional view, taken substantially in theplane of the line 10-10 in FIGURE 8;

FIGURE 11 is a fragmentary sectional view, taken substantially in theplane of the line 11-11 in FIG- URE 8;

FIGURE 12 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional view one of the wingtips with steering means therein;

FIGURE 13 is a fragmentary sectional view, taken substantially in theplane of the line 13-13 in FIGURE 12;

FIGURE 14 is a fragmentary sectional View, taken slbstantially in theplane of the line 14-14 in FIGURE 1 ;and

FIGURE 15 is a fragmentary sectional view, taken substantially in theplane of the line 15-15 in FIGURE 12.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in detail, more particularlyto FIGURES 2, 3 and 4, the space craft in accordance with thepresent'invention is designated generally by the reference numeral 20.As will be apparent, the space craft 20 has a general configuration of amedium-sized, contemporary jet airplane and includes a fuselage 21equipped with a pair of back-swept wings 22 and tail empennage 23including .a rudder 24 and elevators 25. The wings 22 are provided withailerons 26 and with retractable main units 27 of the landing gear whichalso includes a retractable nose Wheel unit 28, as will be clearlyapparent.

Each of the wings 22 also carries a conventional jet engine 29 and fouradditional such engines, indicated at 30, are disposed in an annularengine na-celle 31 which encircles the fuselage 21 amidships, preferablybetween the wings 22. Further aft, the fuselage is encircled by anannular casing 32 which is disposed immediately forward of the tailempennage 23 and contains a set of circumferentially spaced, laterallydischarging steering jets 33. Generally speaking, the arrangement of thepropulsion jets 29, 30 and steering jets 33 is similar to that disclosedin my aforementioned earlier application, except that in the presentinvention the jets 29 are located at the leading edge of the wings, thejets 30 in the nacelle 31 are reduced in number, and both the jets 29,30 are smaller in size, compatible with the medium size of the craft asa whole.

With reference now to FIGURE 5, it will be noted that the forwardportion of the fuselage 21 contains a cockpit or flight deck 34, aft ofwhich is a tank 35 containing fuel for the jets 29, 30 and 33. Aft ofthe tank 35 is a tank 36 for compressed gas which may be used to operatethe steering jets 33 in outer space, in place of the jet fuel in thetank 35 which is used primarily for the propulsion jet engines 29, 30and for steering by the jets 33 in lower atmosphere.

Extending from behind the tank 36 to the tail end of the fuselage 21 isa row of rocket engines 37, 38, 39 40, 41, each having an outlet nozzle42. The engines 3741 are slidable along a set of circumferentiallyspaced guides 43, 44 which extend longitudinally in the fuselage 21,each guide being provided with a pair of parallel grooves to slidablyreceive longitudinal ribs 45 on the outer lateral surface of the rocketengines, this arrangement being substantially the same as that disclosedin my aforementioned earlier application, as in the releasable lockingring 46 in the tail end portion of the guides 43, 44, which serves toretain the rearmost rocket engine in the firing position, butsubsequently releases it for ejection from the fuselage after it hasbeen fired, while providing stop means for the next rocket engine in therow in the firing position. As will be observed in FIGURE 6, the tailend of the fuselage is provided with an opening 47 through which firedand expended rocket engines are ejected, but a resiliently flexiblecollar 48 is provided in the opening 47 and embraces the outlet nozzle42 of the rearmost rocket engine, whereby to afford a closure for theopening 47. Of course, as the rocket engine is ejected, the collar 48 isspread out as indicated by the dotted lines 48', to facilitate passageof the engine therethrough.

The rocket engines 37-41 are disposed in a row, with the outlet nozzle42 of one engine abutting the adjacent end of the next engine. Novelmeans are provided for advancing the several engines individually andsuccessively to the firing position at the tail end of the row. Thesemeans are hydraulically actuated and comprise a hydraulic cylinder 49having a reciprocable piston 50 therein, the piston being carried by apiston rod 51 which projects through the rear end of the cylinder. Thecylinder 49 is equipped with a depending web 52 which is of an invertedT-shaped cross section and is slidable in a guide or track 53 whichextends longitudinally in the bottom portion of the fuselage along theentire length of the row of rocket engines 37- 41} The cylinder 49 isdouble-acting and is provided at its ends thereof with flexible hoses 66for hydraulic fluid under pressure, controlled by a suitable valve (notshown). The forward end of the cylinder 49 has a lug 54 to which ispivoted by a pin 55 a pawl unit 56. The latter engages a rack 57provided in the guide 53, being urged into engagement therewith by aspring 58. The arrangement is such that the pawl unit 56 permits thecylinder 49 to slide rearwardly, that is, in the direction of the arrow59 in FIGURE 8, but prevents sliding of the cylinder in the forwarddirection. The outer end of the piston rod 51 carries a rigid,upstanding pusher member 60 which abuts the forward end of the rocketengine 37. The member 60 has pivoted thereto by a pin 61 a pawl unit 62which is urged by a spring 63 into engagement with the rack 57 in theguide 53 so that the member 60 with the associated piston rod 51 maymove rearwardly in the direction of the arrow 59, but forward movementof the member and piston rod is prevented.

Operation of the hydraulic position mechanism will be apparent fromFIGURE 6. After the rearmost rocket engine 41 has been fired, it isejected from the fuselage through the opening 47 by admitting fluidunder pressure into the front end of the cylinder 49. This causes therod 51 and the member 60 to move rearwardly to the position indicated bythe dotted lines 64, in which position ejection ofthe engine 41 has beencompleted and the next engine 40 comes into abutment with the lockingring 46. During rearward movement of the piston rod 51, forward movementof the cylinder 49 is prevented by the pawl unit 56. The hydraulicpressure is then diverted to the rear end of the cylinder 49, but sincethe piston rod 51 is prevented from sliding forwardly by the pawl unit62, the cylinder 49 itself is slid rearwardly by the hydraulic pressure,until it is in a position adjacent the pusher member 60. The proceduremay then be repeated to eject the engine 40 as well as the next in lineengines 39, 38, 37, the ultimate position of the cylinder 49 asindicated at 65 being in readiness for ejection of the last engine 37.When the fuselage is to be re-loaded with new engines, the pawl units56, 62 are manually disengaged from the rack 57 to facilitate sliding ofthe hydraulic cylinder to its initial position at the forward end of theguide 53. It will be observed that sufficient space exists in the bottomportion of the fuselage for passage of personnel therethrou'gh ininspection or servicing procedures.

, In lower atmospheric layers, steering of the craft is effected by therudder 24 and by the steering jets 33 in the casing 32. In outer space,steering is effected by a pair of rockets guns 65 which are disposed intips of the wings 22, as disclosed in my aforementioned earlierapplication. However, the present craft is also equipped with additionalsteering means for use in outer space, these means comprising a pair ofgun-type steering units 66 which are mounted in the wing tips adjacentthe guns 65.

As detailed in FIGURES 12l5, each of the steering units 66 consists of agun barrel 67 which projects rearwardly from the wing tip, while itsforward end is registrable with a shell receiving picket 68 of areciprocable breech block 69. The latter is slidable transversely of thebarrel 67 along a pair of guides 70 by a reciprocable armature 71 of asolenoid 72 which is fixedly secured to the guides 70. At one end of itsreciprocating travel, the breech block 69 has its shell pocket 68 inalignment with the barrel 67, While at the other end of its travel thepocket 68 is aligned with a bay 73 of a shell magazine 74 which containsa supply of shells, indicated at S. The shells S are loaded into themagazine 74 through an inlet opening 75 and are pressed or advanced intothe bay 73 by a suitable spring 76.

A solenoid 77 is provided at one side of the magazine bay 73 and has areciprocable armature 78 which, when projected, causes a shell in thebay 73 to slide into the pocket 68 of the breech block 69 when thelatter is in a position where the bay 73 and the pocket 68 are inregister. The solenoid 72 is then energized to retract the armature 71,thus sliding the block 69 to a position where the pocket 68 and theshell loaded therein are in alignment with the barrel 67. In thisposition the shell in the pocket 68 is backed by an abutment plate 79and the latter is apertured to provide a passage for a reciprocablefiring pin 80, constituted by the pointed end of an armature 81 of anelectromagnet or solenoid 82. The back ing plate 79 and the solenoid 82are carried by one of the guides 70, as shown.

The shell S is similar to a conventional shot gun shell in that itcontains a percussion cap and a quantity of ex plosive, although it doesnot contain any shot, as such. When the explosive in the shell isignited by contact of the firing pin 81 with the percussion cap of theshell, the resultant explosion produces a thrust which is transmittedthrough the shell backing plate 79 and guides 70 to the wing 22 and tothe craft as a whole for steering purposes.

After the shell is exploded the solenoid 72 is energized to slide thebreech block 69 to the magazine bay 73, and upon actuation of thesolenoid 77 to place a fresh shell from the magazine bay in the pocket68 of the 'breech block, the previously exploded shell is automaticallyejected from the pocket of the breech block by the incoming fresh shell.The exploded shell so ejected drops into a suitable receptacle (notshown) provided in the wing, so that it remains in the craft rather thanbeing jettisoned into space. The shell firing procedure may then berepeated as often as necessary or desirable for steering purposes.

Reference is now drawn to FIGURE 1 which diagrammatically illustratesthe controlled spaced flight of the present craft in relation to aconventional space vehicle orbit. The conventional space vehicle 90 islifted from the earth 91 by a rocket booster 92 which must attain thenecessary escape velocity of some 18,000 m.p.h. in order to place thespace vehicle into an elliptical orbit 93 around the earth. Such anorbit is a continuous, endless path which the space vehicle maintainswithout any power facilities for a change of direction, inasmuch as allavailable power has been expended by the rocket booster in lifting thespace craft through the atmosphere 94 and placing it in the desiredorbit. Whatever may be accomplished by changing the attitude of thecraft in orbit relative to the earth is totally useless in changing theorbit itself, and when the desired number of orbital flights is attainedthe speed of the craft is slowed down so that the craft returns undergravity to the earth, yet at a speed which is high enough to causegeneration of considerable heat in and around the craft upon re-entryinto atmospheric layers. It therefore follows from the foregoing thatorbital flights of conventional space craft are wholly incapable ofspace exploration wherein directionally variable flight is desirable.

On the other hand, the space craft 20 of the present inventioncompletely disposes of the conventional rocket booster and ignores theobvious limitations of orbital flights of conventional space vehicles.As such, the craft 20 may take off from the earth in the manner of aconventional airplane, under the power of the jet engines 29, 30 whichare capable of bringing the craft to the outer layers of the earthsatmosphere, for example, to the point 95 indicated in FIGURE 1. At thatpoint the craft may be leveled off or otherwise oriented in any desireddirection, for example in the direction of the arrow 96, and the rocketengine 41 may be fired to provide the necessary thrust for propellingthe craft in that direction, without regard to gravitational,centrifugal or other orbital forces, it being noted in this connectionthat up to the point 95, the craft has been propelled by jet powerwithout a waste of rocket power in lifting the craft through denseatmospheric layers.

When the craft has traveled in the direction 96 for a desired extent,for example, to the point 97, the steering means 65, 66 may be energizedto orient the craft in another desired direction, for example in thedirection of the arrow 98, and the rocket engine 40 may then be fired topropel the craft in that direction. Similarly, the procedure may berepeated at the points 99 and 100, whereupon the last rocket engine 37is used to propel the craft in the direction of the arrow 101 forre-entry into the earths atmosphere.

Because of the directionally controlled space flight which the inventionaffords, the craft 20 may take off from the earth in any desireddirection, that is, in any desired compass bearing. However, forre-entry purposes it is preferred that the craft enters the atmospherefrom west to east, that is, so as to take advantage of the movement ofthe atmosphere with the earth, which at equatorial latitude and altitudeof 150 miles amounts to some 1,100 m.p.h. The directionally controlledcraft of the invention may enter the rotating atmosphere in thedirection of its rotation and at approximately the same or a slightlyhigher speed, as for example at the point 103, and gradually descend tothe earth as at 104 so that very little, if any, air friction andheating is encountered. During the descent through the atmosphere, thejet engines 29, 30, of course are energized to make a powered landingalong the glide path 104 in a properly controlled manner, much the sameas in landing of conventional aircraft.

While in the foregoing there has been described and shown the preferredembodiment of the invention, various modifications may become apparentto those skilled in the art to which the invention relates. Accordingly,it is not desired to limit the invention to this disclosure and variousmodifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within thespirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a thrust producing steering unit for space craft, the combinationof a gun-type barrel, a breech block having a shell receiving pocket,said breech block being movable between a first position wherein saidpocket is in register with said barrel and a second position whereinsaid pocket is offset from the barrel, a shell magazine having a 'bay inregister with said pocket when the breech block is in its secondposition, power means for transferring a shell from said magazine bayinto the breech block pocket when the bay and the pocket are inregister, power means for moving said breech block between its twopositions, means for firing a shell in said pocket when the breech blockis in its first position, said power means for transferring a shell fromsaid magazine bay into said pocket comprising a solenoid having anarmature reciprocable in and out of said bay.

2. The device as defined in claim 1 together with resilient meansprovided in said magazine for biasing shells therein into said bay.

3. The device as defined in claim 1 wherein'said power means fortransferring a shell from said magazine bay into said pocket aresimultaneously operable to eject a fired shell from said pocket.

4. The device as defined in claim 1 wherein said means for firing ashell comprise a solenoid having a reciprocable armature constituting afiring pin, said pin being engageable with a percussion cap of a shellin said pocket when the latter is in register with said barrel.

5. The device as defined in claim 1 wherein said power means for movingsaid breech block comprise a solenoid having a reciprocable armatureconnected to said block.

6. A thrust producing steering unit for space craft, said unitcomprising a gun-type barrel, a reciprocable breech block having a shellreceiving pocket registrable with said barrel at one end of thereciprocating travel of said block, a shell magazine having a bay inregister with said pocket at the opposite end of travel of said block,resilient means biasing shells in said magazine into said bay, powermeans for reciprocating said block, power means for transferring a shellfrom said magazine bay into said pocket of the breech block andsimultaneously ejecting a fired shell therefrom, means for firing ashell in said pocket when the breech block is in register with saidbarrel, said means for transferring a shell from said magazine bay intosaid pocket comprising a solenoid having an armature reciprocable in andout of said magazine bay.

7. The device as defined in claim 6 wherein said last mentioned meanscomprise a solenoid having a reciprocable armature constituting a firingpin, said pin being engageable with a percussion cap of a shell in saidpocket when said breech block is in register with said barrel.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 379,794 3/ 1888Leineweber 42-395 1,103,503 7/1914 Goddard. 1,194,496 8/1916 Goddard.2,172,163 9/1939 Glowka 6035.6 2,403,730 7/1946 Mac Neille 60-26.11 X2,865,126 12/1958 Dardick 4239.5 X 3,075,433 1/ 1963 Stockholm 42-84 XMARK NEWMAN, Primary Examiner. CARLTON R. CROYLE, Examiner.

1. IN A THRUST PRODUCING STEERING UNIT FOR SPACE CRAFT, THE COMBINATIONOF A GUN-TYPE BARREL, A BREECH BLOCK HAVING A SHELL RECEIVING POCKET,SAID BREECH BLOCK BEING MOVABLE BETWEEN A FIRST POSITION WHEREIN SAIDPOCKET IS IN REGISTER WITH SAID BARREL AND A SECOND POSITION WHEREINSAID POCKET IS OFFSET FROM THE BARREL, A SHELL MAGAZINE HAVING A BAY INREGISTER WITH SAID POCKET WHEN THE BREECH BLOCK IS IN ITS SECONDPOSITION, POWER MEANS FOR TRANSFERRING A SHELL FROM SAID MAGAZINE BAYINTO THE BREECH